Reflections on Three Years as Twyford Drama Chair

What's it like to be the Chair of Twyford Drama? We spoke to Hazel Evans, who has just stepped down from the role after chairing the group from June 2021 to June 2024.

So, Hazel, what did you enjoy most about being Twyford Drama Chair?

To be honest, having had various committee roles in the past such as publicity and secretary, I like the concept of overseeing the whole committee. I see the role as a supportive one and was hopefully able to encourage and support the committee and production teams whenever possible.

What are your highlights from your time in the role?

When I took over as Chair we were emerging from lockdown having had no stage productions for some time and membership numbers were low. It was challenging to make sure we had enough directors interested in future productions. Audiences were low, people were still very cautious about attending events and even some of our members were worried about the numbers of people backstage, for example. I am delighted that we have gone from strength to strength since that low point, our audiences are larger and our ticket sales are increasing. Even in the first year, we won an award for our set for Rapunzel and just recently won awards for the pantomime Treasure Island. Of course, I was not personally responsible for any of these great achievements, but it has been rewarding to be encouraging each play and pantomime and their production teams.

And what was the most challenging part of the role?

Obviously things do not always run smoothly in a theatre group and one of the jobs of the Chair is to deal with issues such as differences of opinion! That can be challenging, but I think I was able to support and help resolve a few issues which arose during my three years as Chair.

Did the group develop during your time as Chair and, if so, how?

Yes, dramatically I think! We went from a theatre group struggling with the problems forced upon us by the COVID lockdowns, back up to being a thriving drama group with a wide range of promising productions lined up. Our membership has increased, our ticket sales have gone up and we are in profit. We also have a great relationship with the new Loddon Hall management so that the bar is in full use during all our productions which helps encourage new audiences.

I was able to sort out the rules regarding chaperones and we have child protection and health and safety policies in place. A writing group encouraging new authors has been set up and we had the premiere of a play written by one of our members.

None of this would have been possible without our excellent committee and production teams and all the hard work they put in so I can’t take the credit.

And finally, what advice would you give to people taking on the role of Chair in the future?

Just remember it’s about teamwork and valuing all the different jobs on the committee which enable us to achieve great things. No one expects the Chair to do all the work, so the job is really about being aware of what everyone is doing and valuing and encouraging their expertise – oh and stepping in if there is a problem!

We'd like to say a huge thanks to Hazel for her great work as Twyford Drama Chair over the past three years and to wish Gavin Robinson the best as he takes over this role.

To find out who's currently on our committee, visit our About Us page.